The couple fell in love with the South American semi-aquatic mammals during a holiday to Venezuela. And now, Melanie and Gary are inseparable and love nothing more than swimming together in her backyard pool.

Melanie said: "Although some people might find it strange, it’s really no different than having a dog or a cat.

Gary is really very smart and he’s very affectionate. He comes when he's called and he likes to sleep with me."

Melanie, from Buda, Texas, adopted Gary from an owner who could no longer care for him.

The cuddly eight-stone animal soon became a member of the family and Melanie has even taught him tricks.

In their natural habitat, capybaras spend most of their time in the water - so Melanie installed a giant pool in her garden and even introduced him to her menagerie of animals, including a horse, rabbits, tortoises, dogs and a cat.

She said: "He gets on well with the other animals, although he likes to chase the rabbits for fun.

He does sometimes get angry with the tortoises because he thinks they invade his space and there is nothing he can do about it."

Melanie even takes Gary, who lives on a diet of grass, out to local schools to educate them about the natural world.

She said: "Most people don't know what a capybara is but as soon as they see him, they want to come pet him and feed him treats. He loves the attention."

However, Melanie says owning a capybara could be dangerous for the average homeowner.

She said: "Capybaras can be quite aggressive sometimes and their teeth are very, very sharp. Gary is not at all aggressive, but a capybara bite can be pretty serious."

While some would consider Gary to be an outlandish pet and not worth the risk, Melanie considers him to be a normal pet.

View our incredible picture gallery to see Gary at home with his human family.